Where do you buy your fish?

[Dreamroper]

Hello Everyone,

Where do you buy most of your fish? The LFS or do you venture into Petco/Petsmart world? Colorado Springs only has two LFS. Hard to believe with a city of 1/2 million, but there it is. I am leery about pet store chains.

What is your opinion?

Thanks,
D

 

[piao liang yu]

Hello Everyone,

Where do you buy most of your fish? The LFS or do you venture into Petco/Petsmart world? Colorado Springs only has two LFS. Hard to believe with a city of 1/2 million, but there it is. I am leery about pet store chains.

What is your opinion?

Thanks,
D

Personally, i have found little difference in the mom and pop lfs and the chains. That is why i always always always quarantine first now. I will say this, the mom and pops around here don't really have many colorful variety. Their fish seem dull in color. So i will go to petsmart or petco or even southern ag if u have them as their fish are very bright and colorful. Still gotta quarantine though.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Personally, i have found little difference in the mom and pop lfs and the chains. That is why i always always always quarantine first now. I will say this, the mom and pops around here don't really have many colorful variety. Their fish seem dull in color. So i will go to petsmart or petco or even southern ag if u have them as their fish are very bright and colorful. Still gotta quarantine though.

Just beware that SOME, not all but some, breeders do use dyes to make the fish more colorful upon purchase. Dont let drab turn you away from somewhere. I bought this bolivian ram with very little color, and now look at him

Personally I rarely buy from petsmart/petco. I have but very rarely; only if they have a fish on sale I want or they have what LFS doesn't. Within the (almost) last year, all of my fish purchases have been from LFS. I have bought 2 fish from petsmart once.

 

[piao liang yu]

Just beware that SOME, not all but some, breeders do use dyes to make the fish more colorful upon purchase. Dont let drab turn you away from somewhere. I bought this bolivian ram with very little color, and now look at him

Personally I rarely buy from petsmart/petco. I have but very rarely; only if they have a fish on sale I want or they have what LFS doesn't. Within the (almost) last year, all of my fish purchases have been from LFS. I have bought 2 fish from petsmart once.

According to their site, (petsmart) their fish are not dyed. Southern ag claims the same. Petco acts like they don't know what i am talking about when i ask them. Go figure.

bottom line of my point is it does not matter where you get them as long as you qt them first. Also, the lfs around here do not guarantee their fish so this is why i also shop the chains. i have gotten sick fish from lfs also. Only place i have not received sick fish was from an individual that keeps fish in his heated garage.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

According to their site, (petsmart) their fish are not dyed. Southern ag claims the same. Petco acts like they don't know what i am talking about when i ask them. Go figure.

Not saying that they do, just putting it out there since it is done unfortunately. Hard part is you never really know for sure if they do or not when you buy.

 

[MadRiverPat]

I have a petco, petsmart, and mom'n'pop lfs all a few miles from each other. Have found petsmart and petco fish to be a bit more bland and the selection was definitely more limited. When you've got a great lfs I feel like you get a much more personable experience as well. Regardless I agree that recently transported fish in often cramped tanks can show far less color than their potential.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

And something else I mean to add and forgot too, most times with LFS's you can special order stuff, atleast at my LFS you can

 

[Dreamroper]

Thanks for the comments. I enjoy going to my LFS but went into a Petsmart today to pick up something and saw that they had quite a selection so I was wondering. Does everyone Q when they buy new fish? I don't have a set up for that so I guess have been lucky so far. I do run a UV for awhile after adding new fish.

 

[bmarine]

I always go to my LFS, The petsmart and chains don't seem to take care of their fish well. There is always a dead/dying fish in their tanks and they kind of jumble fish together a lot. My LFS always has healthy fish and the staff is great!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Thanks for the comments. I enjoy going to my LFS but went into a Petsmart today to pick up something and saw that they had quite a selection so I was wondering. Does everyone Q when they buy new fish? I don't have a set up for that so I guess have been lucky so far. I do run a UV for awhile after adding new fish.

I actually never have and I guess I should.. I keep saying I will set up my 10g for that purpose but haven't done it yet lol. I used to avoid petsmart years ago because their tanks were bad but now they are a lot better. Selection is about the same as my LFS so I don't make a special trip for fish, but I will for equipment. I always go in and look, but I rarely buy fish from them.

 

[Coyne]

There's a Petco five minutes from where I live, two Petsmarts within 10 minutes, a specialty LFS called Aquarium Adventures about 20 minutes away, and a smaller "mom & pop" place about 35 mins.

Obviously, Petsmart and Petco are closer. They have both have about the same selection. Not great, but not awful either. Fish dont have a lot of color, but seem otherwise healthy. Ive had a couple mollys die within a couple weeks of purchase from the Petco. Ive purchased tetras and rasboras from both with no problem and their color improves dramatically after a few weeks.

Aquarium Adventures has a much larger selection and the staff is way more knowledgeable. I purchased 2 mollys from them a couple weeks ago and they are super active and healthy so far (fingers crossed). I have noticed on a few occasions lots of dead or dying fish in their tanks though. I get the impression that they are understaffed for the amount of tanks they have running and the place becomes a mad house on the weekends.

The Mom & Pop place has beautiful tanks but they are SUPER expensive. Like, $15 for a Red Tailed Shark expensive. Also, they didnt seem to care whether I purchased from them or not... I doubt I'll be going back.

I only need 4 Bumblebee Catfish to complete the stocking of my tank and one of the Petsmarts carries them.

 

[Dreamroper]

Out of the two LFS, one is expensive and the other not-but, they too are super busy. Also, one that I go to, the lady that owns it literally tells me when or when I may not stock my tank. I know her intentions are good, but I check my water often and do weekly PWC. The Petsmart I was in yesterday had dirty tanks, but no dead fish. I also went to buy dog food at a Petco close to my office (newer store) and the tanks were extremely clean. I really don't know where all of these folks get their stock from to sell.....

 

[my_little_tetra]

Only places around me are Petsmart, Petco, and Jack's Pets. Jack's is a chain in just Ohio and I think Florida? Or something like that. I personally prefer to buy from Jacks, because their fish seem better cared for. My local Petco is an animal death trap. I avoid that place like the plague.

 

[Tinadno]

Hello Everyone,

Where do you buy most of your fish? The LFS or do you venture into Petco/Petsmart world? Colorado Springs only has two LFS. Hard to believe with a city of 1/2 million, but there it is. I am leery about pet store chains.

What is your opinion?

Thanks,
D

I've bought from petsmart, liveaquaria.com is a good one, thatpetplace.com, and I only get my discus from discushans.com

 

[emilyporter]

I've bought a few fish from garden centers, but after buying some dodgy ones that died the day after I've been wary about shopping there again, so I've started using the smaller, single fish shops and I've found nicer fish at decent prices with no problems

 

[Cichlid ism]

Just beware that SOME, not all but some, breeders do use dyes to make the fish more colorful upon purchase. Dont let drab turn you away from somewhere. I bought this bolivian ram with very little color, and now look at him

Personally I rarely buy from petsmart/petco. I have but very rarely; only if they have a fish on sale I want or they have what LFS doesn't. Within the (almost) last year, all of my fish purchases have been from LFS. I have bought 2 fish from petsmart once.

Wow! That's a beautiful Ram. I go to Aquarium Adventure in Hoffman Estates, I only live 5 min away from them.

 

[Oscar98]

I go to my lfs. They have a different selection of fish every month. Im going to special order a festae and salvini then pick up two pink cons and 4 jewels